Involving young people in caring for the environmental sustainability is really important to Europe’s view on education.

People of all ages should learn how to know more, do better, and care about living in a way that’s good for the Earth.

This includes using resources wisely, being healthy, and working together to make Europe greener and more sustainable.

Discover the actions and initiatives that Europe is taking to spread the importance of environmental education among young Europeans.

The aim of the intiatives

The European Commission aids EU Member States by:

• Providing learners and educators with the necessary knowledge and skills for a more sustainable society.
• Assisting education institutions in integrating sustainability into teaching, learning, and overall operations.
• Promoting a collective understanding of the significant changes required in education and training to support sustainability and the transition to a greener future.

What is the EU doing?

The European Commission is actively involved in developing initiatives to enhance education for a more sustainable future.

Among these initiatives is a proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability. The purpose is to encourage and support Member States in incorporating environmental education into their systems and promoting collaboration on this aspect across the European Union.

In conjunction with this Recommendation, the Commission is in the process of creating a European Sustainability Competence Framework.

This framework outlines the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners should have to address climate change and contribute to sustainable development. The overarching goal is to establish a shared understanding of these competences, ensuring that everyone agrees on what students at all educational levels should learn to promote eco-friendly practices.

The EU actions about environmental education

Among the initiatives promoted by the European Union there are the following:

1. Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development. With this initiative it is possible to actively involve students and staff, local authorities, youth organisations and the research and innovation community in learning for sustainability.
2. Learning for sustainability working group. The European Commission helps put the Recommendation into action through a special group that focuses on sustainability in education. This group has over 40 members, including people from education ministries, social partners, NGOs, and international organizations.
3. European competence framework on sustainability. This framework, available in all official EU languages, can be used in school and training programs, as well as in formal and informal learning environments.
4. Erasmus+ Teacher academies. Erasmus+ Teacher Academies is a key part of the current Erasmus+ program. Its aim is to form partnerships among European teacher education and training providers, enhancing the European and global aspects of teacher education in Europe.

Discover more about the initiative

If you want to know more about the various European initiatives for the environment visit the official website!

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How to Use AI in Education | The Guidelines

Empowering Youth Organisations | YEPA project

L'articolo Education for Environmental Sustainability  | EU Actions proviene da Youth Networks.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy (YEPA) is a group of 150 people, including policymakers, youth entrepreneurship groups, social entrepreneurship networks, youth organisations, program managers, and researchers.

YEPA’s goal is to improve policies and programs for young entrepreneurs by sharing information about the challenges they face and promoting discussions among policymakers, young entrepreneurs, and experts to figure out effective strategies for youth entrepreneurship policies.

Keep reading to find out more about this initiative.

The aim of the project

The main goal is to spread awareness about the problems young people face in starting businesses. YEPA also helps policymakers, young entrepreneurs, and experts share ideas on what works in youth entrepreneurship policies.

Sometimes, other important people like entrepreneurs, investors, and experts will join workshops to share their thoughts too.

It will make more people understand why supporting young entrepreneurs is important by:

1. Informing policymakers about the challenges faced by talented young people in entrepreneurship.
2. Teaching policymakers about successful ways to create and implement policies, while avoiding mistakes.
3. Showing policymakers and youth entrepreneurship networks the benefits of social entrepreneurship for young people.
4. Setting up a regular way for policymakers to talk with youth entrepreneurship networks and encourage the creation of more of these networks.

Who can participate?

• If you are an individual

If you’re a young entrepreneur, an expert in youth entrepreneurship, a researcher, or someone who works with youth businesses, and you want to be part of the project you can contact directly with the organisations by visiting the website.

• If you represent a network or organisation

If you work with a youth group or organisation that supports young entrepreneurs or self-employment and helps with youth entrepreneurship policies, you can join YEPA activities. Become a representative for your national or international youth network by joining the mailing list or contacting directly with the organisation.

• Participants from outside the EU

There are special opportunities for governments, networks, organisations, and youth entrepreneurship experts. Organisations from countries outside the EU can join some YEPA events. If your organization is in an OECD country, it might be able to participate in certain activities.

Discover more about the initiative

Learn more about this project, its objectives, events and how to participate through the official website.

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How to Use AI in Education | The Guidelines

Join the UN Youth Delegate Programme

L'articolo Empowering Youth Organisations | YEPA project proviene da Youth Networks.

In our modern world, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a regular part of our daily experiences. It’s very important to understand how AI influences different aspects of our lives, particularly in the education.

AI will be transforming education and training for students, teachers, and school staff.

It can play a significant role in reducing the number of students leaving school prematurely and can step in to assist with learning difficulties.

Teachers will also benefit greatly from AI integration, as it provides support through tailored or personalised learning tools.

AI has the potential to revolutionise education by fostering inclusivity and addressing unique learning requirements for students and educators alike.

For this reason it is extremely important to understand its operation, its impact and learn to use it in a correct way.

The Ethical Guidelines on the use of AI by the EU commission

The European Commission has put together guidelines with the aim of assisting teachers and educators in comprehending AI and data utilisation in education.

The goal is to not only provide insights into the positive impacts that AI and data can have in teaching and learning but also to raise awareness about potential risks associated with these technologies.

Essentially, these guidelines serve as a resource to empower educators with knowledge about the responsible and ethical use of AI and data in the educational setting.

The aim of the guidelines

The guidelines are like a helpful tool for every youth worker, especially those who are new to using AI. They use real examples to:

• Show how AI is used in schools
• Assist teachers and students in their teaching and learning
• Support the systems and processes in schools
• Talk about the ethical things to think about when using AI, which are the rules the guidelines are based on

For more information you can watch this video summary:

Discover more about the initiative

If you are interested in learning more about this topic and believe that this guide can be useful visit the official website of the European Comtmission to download it for free!

For more information on the program and how it took place visit the website of the initiative.

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Reinforced Youth Guarantee | Youth Employment and Education

Join the UN Youth Delegate Programme

L'articolo How to Use AI in Education | The Guidelines proviene da Youth Networks.

Do you know who is a “UN Youth Delegate” and what they do?

They are young people who participate in the meetings of the United Nations, through an initiative that aims to involve young people more in the United Nations’ work.

Each country in the programme chooses one or more young individuals to represent them at meetings. The selection process and responsibilities vary by country.

Currently, 22 EU Member States are part of this programme. Unlike the UN and African Union, the European Union doesn’t have youth representatives.

The UN Youth Delegates engage in important youth discussions at the UN. They also speak up for young people’s rights in Europe, and expand the EU’s youth representation globally.

The aims of the project

The programme aims to improve EU coordination and representation on youth matters and more at the United Nations.

It will help carry out the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the 2020 EU Council Conclusions on Youth in global actions by promoting dialogue between different generations and cultures and involving youth in policy decisions.

Additionally, a network of alumni will be created to connect youth delegates over the years.

The tasks of a youth delegate differ by country but usually involve giving advice to their delegation on youth-related matters and getting involved in their delegation’s activities, like going to meetings and informal discussions.

Youth delegates can join various United Nations meetings, with many taking part in the General Assembly. Some also attend specific commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

How to become a Youth Delegade?

Some countries already pick young representatives through specific programmes.

You can find out if your country has such a programme by reaching out to government bodies like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Youth Council, or United Nations Associations.

If your country doesn’t have a programme for choosing a youth delegate, you can try to convince your country that having a youth representative at the UN General Assembly is important.

If they agree, the responsible body needs to start the process of selecting a youth delegate.

Discover more about the initiative

If you want to learn more about this topic and would like to become a Youth Delegate visit the official website for more information!

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Erasmus Plus 2024 Annual Work Programme

2024 Annual Work Programme | Highlights on the Differences With 2023 Edition

L'articolo Join the UN Youth Delegate Programme proviene da Youth Networks.

Discover Safir, an ambitious initiative, supported by the European Union, striving to empower and uplift young individuals in nine countries in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

The aims of the project is to foster a nurturing environment that actively encourages the active participation of youth.

The final goal to promote the initiation and growth of entrepreneurial projects that contribute positively to social, cultural, and environmental aspects.

Read on to find out more about this project!

About the project

Safir empowers 1,000 young individuals to contribute to sustainable development goals and be active change-makers.

It encourages their involvement in community life, helps integrate them socially and economically, and supports the development of their projects.

Safir also provides training and support sessions for entrepreneurial, media, or community projects at different stages of development, collaborating with local incubators known for their expertise.

The initiative started during 2022, with the implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee.

Member States started implementing measures under their recovery and resilience plans targeting young people and youth employment related measures.

What has been achieved so far?

Safir wants to support sustainable and successful projects by creating a favourable environment.

It also equips higher education institutions, local incubators, and civil society organisations to help young individuals excel in the Safir project.

The final goal of the project is to build an ecosystem that nurtures projects with social, cultural, or environmental impact, showcasing regional talent and initiatives on a global scale.

The Safir project is:

• 21 civil society organisations supported to strengthen their advocacy training methodologies

• 18 innovative spaces in higher education and research institutions
• 7 local networked incubators, which contribute to the creation of a regional guide to innovative and social entrepreneurship
• 1000 young project leaders supported from 9 countries across North Africa and the Middle East

Discover more about the initiative

If you are interested in finding out more about this project, the results achieved and future initiatives visit the official website!

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Reinforced Youth Guarantee | Youth Employment and Education

Capacity-Building in the field of Youth

L'articolo The Safir Project | Socio-Economic Inclusion across Africa proviene da Youth Networks.

Get to know the “Youth Guarantee”, a project to support young people in gaining work experience and developing the right skills for a changing world of work.

This initiative doesn’t have an end date and it will persist as the European Union’s primary policy framework for combating youth unemployment and inactivity.

After 2022, it will retain the substantial EU funds allocated in the 2021-2027 long-term budget and NextGenerationEU to further its mission of delivering improved outcomes for young people in Europe.

About the initiative

The Youth Guarantee represents an opportunity from every Member State to guarantee that all individuals under 30 are provided with a high-quality opportunity for:

• Employment
• Ongoing education
• Apprenticeships
• Traineeships

Within a timeframe of four months from the moment they become unemployed or conclude their education.

The initiative started during 2022, with the implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee.

Member States started implementing measures under their recovery and resilience plans targeting young people and youth employment related measures.

The goals of the initiative

The final goal of the project is to enhance the employability of the youth.

It aims to support individuals under 30 that want to access high-quality employment, continued education, apprenticeships, or traineeships.

In 2020, the Youth Guarantee underwent a strengthening process to better cater to the needs of young individuals.

This reinforced approach places a primary emphasis on preventing unemployment and inactivity while facilitating smoother transitions from school to work.

One of its central objectives is to support young people in acquiring valuable work experience and cultivating the necessary skills to thrive in an ever-evolving job landscape.

What has been achieved so far?

The project has already achieved excellent results, improving the difficult situation caused by the COVID pandemic which has made it difficult for many young Europeans to find employment.

Over 24 million young people who were once registered in Youth Guarantee schemes started a job, continued education and traineeships.

To learn more about the results obtained in recent years through the program we recommend you visit the official website of the initiative.

Discover more about the initiative

For more information about this initiative, its results and future objectives you can consult the official website.

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Capacity-Building in the field of Youth

Youth Sounding Board | A Project for Youth Empowerment

L'articolo Reinforced Youth Guarantee | Youth Employment and Education proviene da Youth Networks.

Discover “The Youth Sounding Board”! It is a space for young people to have an influence on the EU’s external action through its international partnerships.

Serving as an advisor to the Directorate-General for International Partnerships and Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, the Board works to improve the effectiveness, relevance, and participation of EU activity for youth in partner countries across all political agendas.

The goal of the Youth Sounding Board is to bring about a significant, long-lasting shift in the way the EU interacts with youth in the context of its development cooperation.

Contributing to the Youth Action Plan for EU External Action was one of the Board members’ initial tasks. The Board will remain active in the upcoming stages of the Action Plan’s development.

Keep reading to discover more about this initiative!

The initiative

The Youth Sounding Board Is a project that is also involved in other initiatives in various thematic areas:

• climate action
• peace and security
• economic empowerment
• governance and human rights

The Youth Sounding Board aims also at creating opportunities for young people and youth organisations to express their views, connect and exchange.

As part of their mandate, Youth Sounding Board members will build links with similar structures and existing youth initiatives at international, regional and country level, both in the EU and in the partner countries.

How does it work?

Through their activities, YSB members seek out the ideas and perspectives of young people both within and outside of their networks, therefore representing the views of the broadest possible variety of young people.

Members establish connections with comparable organisations and ongoing youth programs.

In keeping with their role, they also participate in capacity-building initiatives and address ad hoc concerns and requests.

The EU Youth Action Plan will start with the participation of the cohort 2023-2025.

Discover more about the initiative

If you are interested in finding out more about this project, its results and future objectives visit the official website.

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Annual Work Programme 2024 | The financing of Erasmus+

Plastic Pirates – Go Europe | Join the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

L'articolo Youth Sounding Board | A Project for Youth Empowerment proviene da Youth Networks.

Are you passionate about environmental protection and want to know more about the impact plastic waste has on our world? Learn more and discover the project “Plastic Pirates – Go Europe”!

With this project young people around Europe will take part in the European Research Area (ERA), a science initiative, which aims to monitor and address plastic pollution in rivers, beaches, and the ocean.

Since the initiative’s inception in 2020, over 7,500 youth from over 320 schools and organisations have volunteered to collect and analyse data on plastic pollution in Europe’s waterways and coastal areas.

The initiative

The initiative started in 2020 but in 2022, with funding from the Horizon Europe program, the initiative was growing even more.

In an attempt to identify the causes of the issue and increase environmental awareness, the association wants to initiate a sample program spanning the entirety of Europe.

The campaign will evaluate the sources and routes of plastic pollution.

The goals of the initiative

The Plastic Pirates will assist in achieving the goals of the “Mission Restore our Ocean and waterways”, particularly its goal to prevent and eradicate pollution in European seas and waterways.

In addition to serving as a model for the European Year of Youth 2022.

Important goals of European environmental policy are:

• Under the Directive on Marine Strategy Framework
• The Framework Directive on Water
• the Air, Water, and Soil Zero Pollution Action Plan

What the programme is offering to young people

The program aims to empower students and youth to take action for the preservation and restoration of Europe’s rivers and seas by including them in research projects that spark their interest in scientific activity related to social concerns.

The actual sampling of plastic pollution in rivers, beaches, and oceans will be done by youth and students.

In order to help teachers educate students about plastic pollution in the classroom. The project also gives educators access to specialised didactic materials on the subject.

Discover more about the initiative

If you are interested in finding out more about this project, its results and future objectives visit the official website.

You will find many materials, information and events to deepen the theme of environmental protection.

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Annual Work Programme 2024 | The financing of Erasmus+

Youth In Global Politics | Policy Dialogue

L'articolo Plastic Pirates – Go Europe | Join the Fight Against Plastic Pollution proviene da Youth Networks.

Do you want to learn more about topics such as youth in global politics, green transition, public diplomacy and youth engagement, disinformation, defence, the promotion of peace and security, and human rights?

These were some of the topics discussed during the policy dialogue during the celebration of the European Year of Youth 2022.

High Representative/vice-president, Josep Borrell organised a conference in which 18 young people from all over Europe participated and shared their views on the EU foreign policy.

If you could not attend the event read on to find out what were the results of the discussion. You can also find more information about the event on the official website.

The objectives of the dialogue

The conference focused mainly on the following topics:

1. Host a platform where the young leaders of tomorrow could present and discuss with the HR/VP youth initiatives that play (or could play) a role in foreign affairs.
2. Bring together young experts and today’s policy makers, forging a constructive dialogue on the future of the European Union in the world.
3. Discuss the role of youth on EU foreign affairs and share a young vision for the future of the EU and youth in global politics, as the leaders of tomorrow.

The event was a useful opportunity to share views among participants and create new guidelines for future decisions.

Take aways from the dialogue

At the end of the event participants could draw some final decisions that the EU commission will use in the future for new youth policies.

These were the take aways from the dialogue:

1. A youth approach to EU Foreign Policy, including Security and Defence. A few people brought up the point that security encompasses more than just military activities and can also refer to more general topics like social welfare, economy, and climate change.
2. Youth participation in External Action. The EU should further encourage youth participation in EU external policies and actions. It is important to implement programs like the EU Youth Action Plan.
3. Cultural exchanges between Europe and the World. Participants discussed on how culture is much more than just the arts or literature. It encompasses customs, ancestry, understanding between people, history, and knowledge in general. In order to do this, cultural diplomacy is crucial. Participants commented programs like Erasmus+ for serving as a model of are useful to achieve these goals.
4. Living conditions of youth worldwide. It is very important that the youth perspective are taken into account in all policy goals, including EU external activity.

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Addressing the Brain Drain from the EU | Policy Dialogue

L'articolo Youth In Global Politics | Policy Dialogue proviene da Youth Networks.

If you are interested to know how the European Parliament intends to change the distribution of the EU budget in the future and what areas the European financial plan should focus on keep reading!

During the Policy dialogue with EU Commissioner Johannes, participants addressed the issue of the European budget for youth opportunities.

During the event that took place on the occasion of the celebration of the European Year of Youth 2022, 12 young people from all over Europe participated and discussed the issue and try to meet a common point.

If you are interested in the topic read on and find out how to see the video summary of the event!

Take aways from the dialogue

The event was a useful meeting to bring out new points of view and try to calibrate future choices by listening to the opinions of young participants.

The following points are the result of the debate:

1. Youth Test on the MFF and the Financial Regulation. The EU budget serves as a long-term financial instrument for implementing EU policies. For example, funds borrowed through initiatives like NextGenerationEU necessitate repayment over a three-decade horizon. Because of that it should prioritise the interests and consequences for the youth.
2. Increasing the size of the EU budget as well as competences of the EU as a whole. The EU should be endowed with greater financial resources and enhanced political authority to proactively address matters that affect all EU citizens, effectively representing the interests of the entire European community.
3. Enhancing communication efforts in Member States. To address this issue, there must be a significant escalation in communication initiatives throughout regions and cities across the EU. It is imperative that every EU citizen, at the very least, receives a fundamental education about the EU’s operations, its mission, and its significance.

The Video Resume

To find out more about the topic watch the video summary of the event on the official website.

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“I want (you)th”. An Erasmus+ youth exchange to create opportunities for youth

L'articolo A Better Reset of the EU Budget | Policy Dialogue proviene da Youth Networks.